Saudi king chairs cabinet meeting after ‘recovery’
The meeting comes nearly 10 days since the royal court said the king had a lung infection and was undergoing...Geostrategy
Hamas claims to have taken Israeli soldier ‘prisoner’
The armed wing of Hamas said it had taken "prisoner" at least one Israeli soldier in an ambush on Saturday....Geostrategy
With Turkey’s endorsement, Finland finally joins NATO
Two weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly backed its bid, Turkish lawmakers unanimously supported Finland's membership of the US-led...With some 800-mile border with Russia, Finland just has to take a few technical steps before it becomes the 31st member fo the world's most powerful military bloc
Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to the threat of NATO expanding into Ukraine as one of the main reasons for starting the war 13 months ago
Historic indictment: Trump becomes first former US president to face criminal charges
A New York grand jury has indicted former US President Donald Trump over hush money payments made to porn star...A New York grand jury has indicted former US President Donald Trump over hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign
This makes Trump the first former US president to face criminal charges, potentially disrupting his aspirations to regain office in the current presidential race
Two soldiers injured in Israeli aerial attack, says Syria
Syria's foreign ministry condemned the strikes, accusing Israel in a statement of trying to "escape internal divisions", as the country...Israel has repeatedly targeted multiple positions in Syria as the country suffers from a decade old civil war.
Syrian said the Israeli missile was launched from occupied Golan Heights and hit few positions near Damascus.
Saudi Arabia agrees to partner with China-led security bloc
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia has agreed to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a "dialogue partner", state media reported...The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 as a political, economic and security organization to rival Western institutions.
The move would grant Riyadh "the status of a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization", it said.
Turkey set to approve Finland’s NATO bid
Finland and its neighbour Sweden ended decades of military non-alignment and decided to join NATO last May. Their applications were...Turkey's ratification will leave Finland with only a few technical steps before it becomes the 31st member of NATO
Ratification is all but certain after President Erdogan ended months of negotiations and blessed Finland's candidacy
European Union deal to nearly double renewable energy by 2030
The provisional political agreement, which was reached after nightlong negotiations between the EU parliament and states, seeks to raise the...The move also comes as the EU has sought to slash its dependence on Russian fossil fuels after Moscow cut gas supplies last year.
The figure is a compromise between the 45 percent share for renewables that was sought by EU lawmakers and the European Commission.
Emirati, regional leaders wish new UAE VP, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, deputy rulers success in their roles
The decision of the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to name Tahnoun bin Zayed, who is the...Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was the first among regional leaders to congratulate the UAE President on the move
The UAE leaders meanwhile, also appreciated the latest decisions of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and congratulated the new appointees
UAE President names new Vice President and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
The appointments signal a new phase in the UAE's leadership and its commitment to pursuing economic growth and development while...Sheikh Mohamed appointed Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed as Vice President and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
The president also named Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed and Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed as Deputy Rulers of Abu Dhabi
US unveils $1bn initiative for African women’s empowerment
"Advancing the economic status of women and girls is not only a matter of human rights, justice, and fairness --...The initiative, launched by Harris, is a mix of US government funding and private sector commitments.
It includes a $60 million fund for women in the digital economy and nearly $400 million from the private sector.
After Xi-brokered Iran deal, Saudi Arabia to join China led security bloc
Riyadh's move to partner with the bloc comes less than three weeks after the unveiling of a landmark China-brokered reconciliation...The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 as a political, economic and security organization to rival Western institutions
Besides China, its eight members include India, Pakistan and Russia, as well as four central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan
